Eternity
by LJReads17
Summary: When two souls seperated before their time find eachother once again.


Numb. That's what she was feeling. In the beginning it was pain, the kind of pain that makes you willing to do anything to survive. She was used to it, but after finally losing yet another person she cared about she went in search of an answer to werewolf bites. Yes, in hindsight she probably shouldn't have been roaming the woods the same night as a full moon but- _what the hell, _she thought. The stars in southwest Germany were so beautiful it didn't seem a walk back to her hotel room could hurt._ I'll just stay close to the road, _she thought, shoving her hands into the deep pockets of her black jeans. The night was quiet, the only sounds filling her ears being the whistle of the wind through the leaves and the click of her heels on the pavement. The noise giving her solace from the loneliness she felt. Her girls had died long ago, eight centuries to be exact, and that loss took so much out of her. She knew it was going to happen one day, but if she's honest she didn't think she would have to deal with it alone. He was supposed to be here. Klaus. The guy that was supposed to be her last love, the one who made her a vow and never followed through. Releasing a breath she never knew she had, Caroline ran a hand through her short curls and loosened the tight hold she had over her emotions. If someone asked her right then what she was feeling she wouldn't even know where to start.

After walking away from him in that bar, she realized something that she had left buried and forgotten for far too long: she loved him. The big bad hybrid Klaus Mikaelson had managed to weasel his way into her heart. Now though, all she felt was resentment. Resentment towards him and his broken promises, resentment towards fate for taking away the children she was never supposed to have, and resentment towards this night for being so damn beautiful. Having been so caught in her thoughts, Caroline didn't register the change in scenery until it was too late. The sound of a deep growl and the snap of a branch breaking shoved her back into reality. Spinning around fast enough to give any human whiplash, she just barely missed the teeth headed straight for her shoulder. Shifting her focus to the wolf in front of her and flashing forward she kicked it into a nearby tree but missed the one that entered through the trees behind her. Pain erupted from her left side, letting out a scream that would fall on deaf ears, Caroline hit the wolf attached to her hard enough to hear a crack and whimper of pain as the wolf released its hold and struggled to follow the first into the treeline. Caroline flashed through the trees until the sound of water stopped her in her tracks. Following the comforting sound of water hitting rocks, she found the source and leaned her back against the side of the rocky cliff. With her bottom lip crushed between her teeth, she lifted her shirt, damp from blood, and let her fingers hover over the bite near her hip. _It's deep. It'll be fast_, she thought as she released the hold on her shirt and let her head fall back against the wall. The tears felt warm to her cheeks as she thought about her nine hundred years of life. It was the only distraction she had from the overwhelming pain stemming from everywhere. Her thoughts shifted to all the people she's loved and lost, the ones she'll be leaving behind, and the ones she just might see. _That's odd_, she thought, the hairs standing up on her neck and shoulders sensing she wasn't alone. Forcing her eyes open, she saw only shades of green, blue, and black, taking the place of what was once a beautiful waterfall surrounded by endless trees under a star covered sky. How ironic a place so beautiful has to be victim to such a gruesome sight. Finally deciding to give in to the exhaustion thats permeated every cell in her body, Caroline closed her eyes. _I wish you were here_, was the last coherent thought she had before losing consciousness.

A feather light touch to the bridge of her nose forced Caroline to leave the comforting silence she was currently in. No pain, no noise, no thoughts- it was the most content she has felt in centuries. Fighting to go back, she shifted onto her stomach and was immediately met with what felt like a million pricks to her face and exposed flesh. Sitting up and swiping at her cheeks, Caroline took a look at her surroundings. What looked to be a large pond rested a few feet from where she was with red, purple, and yellow wildflowers covering any ground within sight. A part of her knew that she should be wary of the unfamiliar place but that thought was gone so fast she thought she imagined it. The sight was so overwhelmingly stunning she was frozen in awe. Despite the comfort she was feeling she fought to stop the upward curl of her lips. Wait. Who does she have to shield herself from? The flowers? Happiness? Doesn't she deserve some relief?Surrendering to the long forgotten sensations this place was giving her, she let a smile spread across her face. It took Caroline a few seconds to realize she was even doing it; could it really be this.. effortless? When did it stop? She walked the few steps to the water and crouched down to lose herself to the colors swirling beneath her eyes. At the sight of the disheveled appearance reflected back at her, Caroline was reminded of how she got here in the first place. _I'm_ _dead_, she thought, _I'm_-

"Caroline."

Her breath caught in her throat, eyes wide, she glanced at the reflection standing behind her.

"Klaus?" Scrambling to her feet and twisting to face him, she was met with those familiar blue eyes that she could literally spend an eternity in. She watched as Klaus grasped at her upper arms as if contemplating pulling her closer or keeping her at arms length. Afraid to take her eyes off of him, she watched the waves of emotions crowd his features once his gaze landed on where once stood her bite mark. She couldn't remember the last time she saw such intensity. No, that's not right. She knows that intensity, it was there that night in the bar. This was Klaus-level intensity. Her Klaus. Overcome with relief and such a strong sense of safety, she let herself be vulnerable with who was once the most ruthless creature on the planet. Needing more she stumbled into him and wrapped her arms so tightly around his waist she vaguely wondered if a deadman could feel pain. He responded without hesitation, one hand cradling the back of her head to his shoulder with the other circled around her waist as he pulled her impossibly closer. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I-" he breathed, her hair moving with the touch of his lips "If I knew you would ever be in danger I would have left you some of my blood."

"I know." She said, emotion clouding her voice, "I- wait." Fighting the urge to never leave his strong hold, Caroline forced herself to take a step back and look into his awaiting eyes. "How do you know what happened? How I died?"

He flinched as if she hit him and looked away.

"Hey" She said, as she cupped one cheek and tried to make him meet her gaze. "I thought we were done hiding from each other." That seemed to have struck a cord, because almost immediately his eyes met hers. She almost cried at what she found reflected in them.

"Nine hundred years I have been here, Caroline. Alone. I take no shame in admitting that my only relief has been watching you and my daughter live on. My only regret is that I was not there to explore the world with you as I dreamt of countless times. Watching your smile as you saw the sun set from the eiffel tower in Paris, your frustration when you tried sketching the landscape while under a tree in Australia. Hell Caroline, you damn near took my breath away in the Alps when you happened upon a mockingbird and whispered my name." After brushing away the tears on her face, he gently pulled her head back to look up at him. "You have no idea how much I've missed you, love."

Before she could lose her nerve, she crashed her lips to his. This wasn't goodbye. This wasn't even hello. This was her promise to him. She was tired of running. He was ready and so was she. Trying to catch him off guard, she lightly grazed her tongue along his bottom lip and smiled when she felt a deep groan from him. Searching for a way to maneuver out of the steel grip on her hips, she realized any attempt was futile. He knew it too, judging by the gleam in his eyes. It's a good thing he can't control her mouth though, "You know, everywhere I went and everything I did, I did with you in my mind. I imagined all the stories you would tell me, all the people you would introduce me to, and that evening you mentioned in Paris? I was smiling because I was picturing you there with me, holding me from behind, and whispering sweet nothings in my ear." She smirked as his lips parted and his eyes widened in shock, checkmate. Knowing she had only seconds before he recovered, she pecked him quickly on the lips as she sneaked out of his grip and ran a few feet in front of him.

"Don't think this means the chase is over!" She giggled as she mockingly circled him and took off towards the woods.

Surprisingly Klaus found himself smiling- not at the fear in his enemy's eyes or from the power of victory- but at the sound of her laugh. Rubbing his hands together in excitement, he set off to catch the one that's always managed to get away. _Not anymore_, he thought, and for the first time in whats felt like forever, let peace surround him.


End file.
